Operator
Adler-Schiffe
The company that links the Wadden Sea sideways - seasonal, often with a transfer, and with a timetable that ends in early November
- Founded 1950, based in Westerland on Sylt: island and Hallig routes across the North Frisian Wadden Sea
- Adler-Schiffe runs 42 of the 56 North Frisian routes, every one of them seasonal
- On the island routes: MS Adler-Express and MS Adler Rüm Hart
The company and its routes
Table of Contents
Adler-Schiffe was founded in 1950 and is based in Westerland on Sylt. For North Frisia the company is the sideways link: while the W.D.R. runs the year-round service from the mainland, Adler-Schiffe connects the islands and Halligen with each other - and only in the summer half-year.
What Adler-Schiffe runs
The company calls at Hörnum on Sylt, Wittdün on Amrum, Wyk on Föhr, Hooge, Pellworm and Nordstrand, plus Heligoland. Those ports add up to a dense network: 42 of the region's 56 directional routes belong to the company. Some are genuine scheduled sailings, others through tickets with a transfer at one of the islands in between. The Hallig Langeneß and the hallig gateway Schlüttsiel lie outside this network.
Which connection runs direct and which needs a transfer is set out on the individual island pages.
The season is what matters
The service runs from late March to early November. After that the cross links drop out of the timetable until the company publishes the new season in spring. Every island in the region stays reachable in that period, but only via its own mainland port: Föhr and Amrum via Dagebüll, the halligen via Schlüttsiel, Pellworm via Nordstrand.
Fleet
The North Frisian island routes are worked mainly by the MS Adler-Express and the MS Adler Rüm Hart, a catamaran chartered from the W.D.R. In total the company's fleet numbers around 30 passenger vessels, most of them in seasonal service. Beyond North Frisia, Adler-Schiffe operates on the North Sea and the Baltic; since 2019 it has run Adler & Eils together with Reederei Cassen Eils for the Heligoland crossings from Büsum.
FAQ
Common questions about Adler-Schiffe
When does Adler-Schiffe sail in North Frisia? +
In the summer half-year. The season starts in late March and ends in early November, after which there are no sailings between the islands and Halligen. The current picture is in the timetable.
Which islands does Adler-Schiffe connect? +
Are these all direct sailings? +
No. Many are sold as through tickets but operated with a transfer, and in the timetable no single ship covers the whole journey.
Can I take my car? +
No. Adler-Schiffe carries passengers on these routes. If you need to bring a vehicle, use the year-round W.D.R. car ferries from Dagebüll or the Pellworm ferry from Nordstrand.
Does Adler-Schiffe sail outside North Frisia? +
Yes. The company operates on both the North Sea and the Baltic, including off Rügen and Usedom and on the Kiel Canal. This page covers only the North Frisian routes.